Two shot in South Richmond store
A gunman who had wounded a shopkeeper and opened fire on several customers was stopped yesterday when another man shot him at the store in South Richmond, authorities said.
The violent attempted robbery took place shortly after 1 p.m. at the Golden Food Market at 2701 Jefferson Davis Highway, the same store where another man was shot last month -- and only three blocks from the scene of another robbery in June that left a shopkeeper dead.
Owners of as many as a dozen Jefferson Davis-area businesses flocked to the scene of the shooting, and many were rattled by such a brazen daylight attack, said Councilwoman Reva Trammell, whose 8th District includes the Jefferson Davis corridor.
Trammell, who arrived outside the store shortly after yesterday's shootings, described a frenzied scene. One man told Trammell that the man who had shot the robber was a guardian angel.
"Whoever did it probably saved their lives in there," Trammell said of the shooter.
Police did not identify anyone involved in yesterday's shootings.
The man who shot the robber is a friend of the store owner, and he was wearing a holster with a Western-style revolver, said Managing Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland.
After the suspect shot the store owner and opened fire on patrons, the owner's friend shot the suspect once in the torso, took his gun and called police, Thorne-Begland said.
Thorne-Begland said it appeared that the shooting of the suspect was justified, although he emphasized that the investigation was in the early stages.
Police said they expect to file charges against the suspect.
The store owner's injuries did not appear life-threatening, authorities said, but the gunman's injuries were said to be life-threatening. No one else was hurt.
Anthony Gregory, who lives near Golden Food, said he was in the store about 15 minutes before the shootings, and that while he was there, he saw a man with a baby making a purchase.
Gregory said the owner told the baby, "Welcome to the world. This is a dangerous world, so be careful. But don't worry, God will protect you."
Police Cmdr. Steve Drew said officers had been patrolling up and down Jefferson Davis yesterday and recently have bolstered their presence in the area. He said it was unusual for a commercial robbery to happen so early in the day.
The previous shooting at Golden Food took place late the night of June 12. And three nights earlier, a co-owner of the Come and Go Food Market, which is about three blocks north of Golden Food on Jefferson Davis, was shot and killed in a robbery.
Authorities said it was too early to know whether any of the three shootings on Jefferson Davis are connected.
A few hours after yesterday's shootings, Said "Sam" Messaf, the man who was shot June 12 at Golden Food, was at the store to help another man shut down the market.
Messaf described how he had been helping out at the store June 12 when two robbers came inside. One man opened fire, reaching over the counter and shooting as Messaf cowered behind it, he said. Messaf was shot six times in his legs.
He said he suffered nerve damage in his left leg and has trouble sleeping.
Trammell said residents and business owners were scared by the recent violence but have faith that police are doing their best to stop it.
"I'm still shook up," Trammell said. "I'm not afraid, but we've worked so hard on Jefferson Davis -- so hard in that area to bring crime down."
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or
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Reader Reactions
I would like to sau that if some of the people in the place where the gunman GEORGE SOLINI, shot so, many people had a gun do you think it would have been that many shot and killed and wounded??? I think not, I have benn robbed here at my house a few times but I was not here, because I have many guns and most people know it! they come when I am not here and take some things, and never at night!! I would robbed of my el camino a 70 model a few years ago and I had my gun was going to take it but my truck leak water at the back glass and my gun would start to rust and I didn,t take it and someone had broke the glass and went into my glove box and was looking for a gun and when I was cleaning the glass off the seat they run up the to truck and stuck the gin in my face and 3 other came and went thru my pockets and if I would had my gun they would have been blood all over that parking lot!! I didn,t get my truck back either! but i have it now when I go, also it is a western six single six and I can shot him before he can think,even if he has the gun on me, I practice fast draw!! also I have 9 mm with 17 rounds click which obama wants to do away with, it is not the guns that kill! it the person who will use whatever he or she can knive baseball bat machette, anything!!
So UK gun violence is down?....well what about this?
Almost 130,000 attacks involved knives last year - equivalent to one every four minutes - according to the annual British Crime Survey.
Something else that’s wrong with this scenario is that if the robber survives, then we get to pay for his trial, his incarceration, his food, medical and everything else that he may require over the next several years.
I commend the man who took care of the situation. He clearly handled it the best way possible. One shot to center mass, then disarmed the felon.
As has been said before - no amount of gun control laws would have stopped this felon from carrying a weapon. He was already in violation of current laws by being a “Felon in possession of a firearm”. So, do you think that if more laws were enacted that this felon would suddenly say “Oh, well I should stop this armed robbery gig since it’s more illegal now than it was yesterday!“
I appreciate my 2nd Amendment right to bear arms in defense of myself and my family. I hope that I am never faced with a situation where my sidearm has to be put into action, but it will be there if the need arises.
The only thing wrong with the scenario that occurred in that store was that the store owner was not armed, and did not shoot the criminal first.
Jake, where do you apply the credit for the statue of David? Does the credit go to the chisels which were used to make the statue, or does the credit for that statue go to Michelangelo?
I know, you’re all about “emotion.“ Life seems so fair and beautiful when FACTS are completely ignored. You want to accuse an inanimate object for an action that requires analytical thinking.
Liberalism is so squishy-cuddly-warm. It LOVES conceptual words like “if” and “might” ...
On July 12, you posted this:
“ Posted by ( Jake67 ) on July 12, 2009 at 8:46 am
The robber was an armed citizen too, who [might have] had a more difficult time getting a gun [if] the NRA lobby would go for even basic gun control. The lack of gun control in the U.S. contributes to crimes like this happening in the first place, so don’t paint this is a example of how wonderful our lax gun laws are.“
Now, just humor me for a moment. In places like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and other flourishing bastions of liberalism where GUN CONTROL is in full force and more restrictive than ANYWHERE else, crime rates are sky-rocketing ... but in places where citizens are allowed to carry a firearm for self-defense, open or concealed, crime rates are the lowest in the nation ... yet YOU think that more “GUN CONTROL” is the answer?
How do liberals even tie their own shoes? It must be a living H*LL to go through life without a brain.
Hey Jake!
Check out the page-one story in Wednesday’s RTD: “Richmond Store owner grateful for man who shot robber”
We have too many Gun control laws.
BUT
the criminal element does NOT follow any of those laws on guns or any other laws for that matter..It’s the nature of that beast one could suppose if one had common sense.
Maybe those screaming for more laws, laws laws…and more laws, maybe YOU should talk to the CRIMINALS who force an armed response by a law abiding citizen to save lives. Maybe you can talk them out of using guns next time they go rob a place. Good luck with that!
How DARE a legal gun owner stop a murderous crime!! Screw the lives of the shop owner or the innocent patrons. WE MUST SAVE THE LIVES OF ALL OF THE WORLDS CRIMINALS!!
Anti-self defense trolls are so predictable. Where do you get such a twisted mentality? Oh…probably VCU.
hmm,yet again the arguments fall to party and ideology lines.it’s the same old i am right and if you don’t beliveve the whole package you are wrong mentality that has put us where we are now.how truly sad and pathetic.i am a responsible gun owner,i am no right winger.guns belong in competent hands only.it is a terrible burden and expensive to be a responsible owner.quality guns are very expensive so is range time and ammunition to become good with your gun.if you actually carry your gun you must know that you very well may have to use it.if you do have to use it there are civil,criminal,and psycological consequenses with that use.how many of you are ready to face court or a shrink because you wanted to make a stand?i am are all the rest?i seriously doubt it.our problems will not be fixed by well meaning but unqualified people with guns,nor will it be fixed by more legislation.our system is badly bent and it will take all of us working together to fix this.if you are not willing to be part of the fix,you are part of the problem.we have enough of those.
Once again, we see as plainly as a billboard, that when good, law-abiding people are armed, lives are saved—because no amount of laws will ever be enough to prevent criminals from being criminals.
The question is not whether bad people will be armed. Bad people will always be armed. The question is whether good people will be permitted to defend themselves.
It really is just that simple.
We are very lucky to live in a country where our founding political document forbids the government from preventing good, law-abiding people from being armed.
On the bright side, the overall violent crime rate in the USA is lower than that of the UK, France, and Canada.
People with common sense cannot win an debates with those who have no sense.
You can tell them and show them a gun can saves lives, but they’ve been brainwashed so hard and soooo long that they can only spout what the MEDIA tells them to spout.
THINKING for themselves is not in demand by the majority.
Let nature weed out…some people do not want help with serious issues like that.They are stuck on 911 will save them…because police is everywhere at all times? sheeple!
Home security & self preservation is my responsibility first.
An excellent short book of actual cases and the case law in all States on the subject is called ‘Call 911 and die’, a wake-up read!
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